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Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Will Allen, Growing Power Inc (Growing Food in the Community) Was featured in NY Times (very tall)
Alan Greene, MD, Stanford Univ of Medicine
Kenneth Cook, Environmental Working Group (major policy advocate)
Jeanne Rizzo, RN, Breast Cancer Fund (Focuses on the environmental causes of breast cancer)

Will Allen: Everyday is earthday! Wants us to remember - Its all about the soil. If we grow healthy soil, we grow healthy food. His talk is over. Psyche. 86% of consumers say they want locally grown food. Slides: Bought last remaining farm in Milwalkee Wisconsin inb 1993. Shows pictures of kids then, comments that they look different than kids today, cause pants were pulled up. LOL! Kids were involved with building farm, composting, gardening, using tools, reading, planting in communities, transformed vacant lots. garden art. Multicultural, multigeneration organization, led by people of color. Grow food year round. Works with juvenile offenders. Really doing a lot of compost and different kinds of food waste. Does a lot of training on composting. Does a lot with vermiculture (worms). Shows a slide with people holding lots of worms. Sell their worm composting product for $4. Food waste converted into cash. Also has fish farms. Lake perch and tilapia. Markets to areas with food deserts. Uses hot compost to keep greenhouse warm. 60% of people involved in small scale agriculture, under age 40. Also using food waste via methane to generate electricity. Solar panels used. Water collection system, recycled into fish farm and plant watering. Also, has animals, goats,chickens, turkeys, bees. Works with the blind, planting for 20 plus corporations, the city (city hall has a garden), asphalt gardens for seniors, just opened up a retail store... this man is AMAZING. School gardens, rooftop gardens in the city, in Chicago has four farms including Grant Park - intensive gardening. Mr. Allen just received a standing ovation! I'm teary eyed. Oh my goodness!

Alan Greene, MD

I'm still high on Will Allen. Let me focus. Okay, he is talking about about environmental cues on genes development. Pesticides - impact on mental development of children, obesity. Body works with women in pregnancy to avoid certain chemicals and desire specific types of foods. How do chemicals get in body? Routes: Mom's mouth, on skin and air we breath. Air - We can make a big difference with little changes. Biggest pollution is in our homes- open windows and doors, houseplants (top ten), choose wisely, avoid products with fragrance if not essential oils. Skin - do a complete makeover of all the products you use, go to www.skindeep.com to check out it's safety. Mouth - Avg American eats 150 pounds of food additives per year. Did you know that endangered species zoo animals eat only organic food. Watch food containers. A study shows that by increasing intact of good healthy foods can significantly reduce amounts of toxins. Raw food yeah! Changing food habits can be difficult. Babies learn food habits via imprinting. Is that why my son associates me with cookies? Children are our canaries in the coal mine. If we are seeing rapid increases in changes with our kids health, we must consider environmental impact. The Safe Chemicals Act, dependent on TOSCA reform (see Lisa Jackson comments). Again, women are being called out to initiate change. $58B a year spent on environmentally caused illnesses.

Ken Cook

Says that this is one of the most important environmental conferences in the world. We have recently started studying pollution in the developing fetus. (shows a slide of a fetus with beating heart). Average of 200 chemicals found in core blood. Studying ten babies of color, African American, Hispanics, Asian American, a total of 382 chemicals found in those babies. www.ewg.org/humantoxome/ We should ask ourselves, are these chemicals safe? There can be health impacts at low exposures, despite what some chemical industry officials state. Uses examples of effectiveness of low dosages of certain medicines to counter that statement.Including Cialis, Albuteral, Paxil, Nuvareen. Gives examples of warning labels of some of these drugs. Very funny. Small exposures can matter. MORE LISTS! About the same as others. EWG has so many guides for shoppers. Go to www.ewg.org/women to get these guides. Says that men need to be brought along on these issues. We need Toxic Chemicals Reform. See Lisa P. Jackson. We should assume that chemicals can cause harm, require public disclosure of health and safety studies. We can make this happen. Shows a poster from the 50's bragging about "More Doctors Smoke X Brand than any other cigarette!". Gives examples of bans of lead, DDT.

Jeanne Rizzo, RN

1992 a 42 year old woman diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, started the Breast Cancer Fund to find out if environmental causes were behind her disease. She died years later, but her work lives on.
Asks people to call out the names of friends, family members that have died or are dealing with this disease. There are several pieces of legislation in Congress right now, dealing with this disease. (Didn't know this). Primary Prevention - Preventing disease in the first place, before it starts. An absolute public health imperative. We need to take precautionary information on how to protect the environment to avoid disease. Reduce periods of most vulnerable times of exposures. Need to understand how mixtures of chemicals matter, science is trying to catch up with the realities of our complex daily lives. What can we do? Shop for safe cosmetics, use our wallets and social networks. Natural products industry is growing like crazy for these reasons. The industry is listening. www.safecosmetics.com. Lipstick, face paint,shampoo. Call for the passage of the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010. Federal Toxic Toys Act result of strong science and thousands of letters from parents going to Congress. We need to be mindful of old furnishings and toys, as they are filled with these toxic chemicals. BPA - avoid canned foods. This was originally designed to be a hormonal agent. Look for the label - BPA Free. The Banned Poisonous Additive Act - just introduced by Senator Feinstein. We need to support. The FDA governs these types of substances. Food Substance Contact - we need to pay attention to this category. Fragance - a dirty word? Clorine bleach mimics estrogen. (did not know that). Goodbye Tilex. Household Cleaning Ingredient Disclosure - another pending piece of legislation. Ionizing Radiation - CT Scans, X rays really need to be discussed with doctor, because there are serious impacts. So I guess if you have had cancer related radiation treatments you just SOL. More reasons to eat raw to offset all of that negative energy.

Questions

How do we do that in our city? Where do we get the resource?
Will Allen trained over 1000 communities last year, eight regional training centers. Engage the community first to get them onboard. May have to wait a year to develop relationships with waste providers. (complimented the conference organizers for their waste collection efforts). Collect your waste and bring to urban farms, they really need it. They are competing against waste collectors. He says we need to get started, quotes the First Lady and says "Lets move!"

Is outdoor air really not as bad as indoor air pollution?
Yes. Offset this with good nutrition, calcium and vitamin D, air out your home, houseplants

Where are the gaps/weaknesses in changes being made?
A lot of fatigue from advocates over the last decade. We need to get up and get going again.
Gaps in public will to address these issues.
Need to create projects that are perceived to be assets to the community.
Conversation about endocrine disruptors, very unhealthy, prevalent in many products
Medical profession - look for a doctor that looks at the whole person, asks questions about chemicals you are exposed to.

How do we responsibly get rid of these toxic products in our homes?
Lots of hesitation on this question. No good answers.
Solution is green chemistry, green design.
Minimize waste. Reuse. Use whats left of personal care products, replace with safer products.
Contact local solid waste district.

Asks the audience to consider the following:

Raise hands in response to anyone whose family has been touched by breast cancer, diabetes, learning disabilities, prostate cancer. Almost everyone raised their hands at least once. Let's get out there and leverage the new science and policy initiatives to change this situation.

Theresa Heinz, event funder and breast cancer survivor, says that today unlike in the past, we can see an opening for solutions, we have choices, information. Talks about teens 12-15 year old in Pittsburgh with breast cancer.A 15 year old that lost their mom because she couldn't afford a mammogram. This is awful!
There are lots of well meaning people out there that will fight you tooth and nail, perhaps young mothers and grandmothers in this group might be reachable. First time she has heard an EPA administrator say the things that Lisa P Jackson, said today. Says that the system in Washington isn't working, so we need to make things happen.

Okay, the conference is officially over. Back to Cleveland to spread the news!

Phthalates increase DEP 22x after only 2 days use of brand name off the shelf products
BPA - increase 7.5x after two days of eating out of plastic, used son's baby bottle and canned food, including our favorite childhood foods
Triclosan increase 2900x after two days of Colgate Total toothpaste - amazing
Mercury - 2.5x after eating tuna - sandwiches, tuna steak, sushi ate 7 meals with Tuna
Pesticides - Banned in parts of Canada, so couldn't test, found levels of chemicals banned 40 years ago in their blood
PFC's - 95% of Americans have this in their bodies. No significant increase due to extensive amount already in our bodies

Note: Most of these chemicals aren't necessary for product effectiveness, great salesmanship by chemical manufacturers.
Evidence of Significant Health Problems

Slide of impact on mouse breast tissue. Lots of clutter in the BPA slide.

Hope: Canada bans BPA in baby bottles
Moms were the drivers of this change. Women held rallies, verbally accosted public officials over the issue, happened when a conservative government in place, so there is hope.

Questions: We want names, what products?
Look for unscented or fragrance free products, avoid plasticware (there are biological alternatives)
How can you tell if cans are lined with BPA?
Pretty much all, EDEN Organic doesn't use
Del Monte to launch a tomato products package with no BPA
How do we know that replacements are safe?
We need to demand adequate review and assessment of new products/chemicals

"Science must be the back bone of our work" - Lisa Jackson's statement on first day on the job at EPA.

As Working Woman's "Most Powerful Green Mom", she says that we need to start with our own personal health. We need to understand the risks posed by chemicals and their impact on our health. Chemicals are everywhere, 287 different chemicals found in the cord blood of babies, a steady infusion of industrial chemicals before they are even given solid food. People want assurances that chemicals are safe and risks are not ignored. 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TOSCA) - has fallen behind and inadequate tool to provide protection against chemical risks. Manufacturers not required to assess risk. Existing chemicals are grandfathered. EPA tools to assess risks are weak. Burden on proof falls on EPA not manufacturer. If there is data on risks, the law provides many obstacles. There are only five chemicals EPA can manage. Asbestos is not one of them. There are new pathways of exposure for chemicals. Baby bottles, receipts (BPA, who knew?), medical devices, food all pathways to toxins. Goals to change chemical management laws: Review all chemicals based on risks and set safety standards at appropriate levels, safety standards cannot be set without adequate information, EPA and industry should include special consideration for high risk groups, when chemicals fall short of safety standards, EPA can take action, encourage innovation in green chemistry, safety assessments need to be properly resourced. These changes are being evaluated in Congress. Chemical producers, several states and industry are starting to pay attention and acknowledge the need for change. Believes assuring chemical safety in a rapidly changing world should be the role of the EPA. She needs our engagement as women, we lead so many changes, let's push for the positive opportunities to improve health and safety for ourselves and our neighbors. Retailers are starting to realize that women are looking for better and safer products for our families, which is why we are seeing more green products on the shelves.

She departs with her aide, after hugging Dr. Wright.

Audience excused to figure out how to use the assorted recycling trash cans around the place.

Moderator: John Peterson Myers, PhD. Overview: Tools we used to determine what safe have been flawed, used to protect chemicals over people. New tools being used now, which are linking chemicals to health conditions more than ever. As we identify these chemicals, we need to develop practices and policies around their use. Green Chemistry on the uprise. Dr. Terry Collins, a leader in this area.

Panelists are strong advocates for change in the area of environmental toxins.

Dr. Hunt: Washington State Univeristy. Interests in reproductive health and limited amount of time women have to produce. Shows a slide of chromosomes of downs syndrome child. Huge increase of child's chance of downs syndrome with age of woman. We have change our reproductive habits. More women are waiting until they older before they get pregnant, but we aren't designed to do that. That is unique to humans. Are we making things worse? There have been dramatic changes in reproductive functions. Pathways of exposure, air, water, food packaging, pesticides, furniture, heavy metals. Today's focus: BPA. Contributor to chromosomal abnormalities, this was confirmed by leaching BPA from cages of lab animals. Changes in mice: Increased cancer risk, obesity, heart disease. These changes start in the womb, they can impact the female fetus' eggs. But this was discounted. This was then tested on monkey females (I know, that's terrible). Same result. There are other chemicals that behave like estrogens in the body. We need to start talking to our legislators about changes in our chemical policies. Change starts with us. Good example - removal of BPA from baby bottles as a result of individual phone calls made by concerned parents.

Dr. Brody: Silent Spring Institute: Rachel Carson, a hero for all of us. Topic: Environmental Chemicals and Breast Cancer. Turn the question of "why did I get breast cancer?" into "why are we seeing a higher incidence of breast cancer". Silent Spring Institute is seeking to answer this question. Challenges statements of lack of evidence about pesticides and toxins impact on breast cancer. New research shows that we can reduce incidences of breast cancer. Inherited genes are NOT the main story, only 27% due to genes. Industrial nations have the highest rates of breast cancer. What are opportunities for prevention? Risk factors: Radiation, alcohol use, lack of physical activity, hormone replacement therapy, overweight after menopause. Biological mechanisms linked: endocrine disruptors, developmental toxicants that affect mammary glands - 216 chemicals used in pollutants, cosmetics linked to breast cancer. www.silentspring.org for "breast cancer list". PAH's, PCB's. Why don't we know more, humans more difficult to study. Most chemicals have never been studied, so the no proof claims, aren't necessarily valid. Sometimes we just need to experiment with eliminating suspect chemicals and see if rates of disease drop.

Dr. Wright: Dillard University
New Orleans area also known as Mississippi River Chemical Corridor. Home to 136 petrochemical businesses. Will discuss environmental racism. Began her journey in this area 30 years ago. She says that climate change is real, activists knew this to be true a long time ago, because they were living with the results.New Orleans were completely shocked at the severity of Hurricane Katrina. Showing slides of tens of thousands of people trying to leave. Not everyone had the ability to leave. Women, children and elderly most impacted, least able to leave. Climate change impacts: flooding, leakage and spread of contaminants. Says that there was a lot of EPA agency double speak, tells the city that it is safe, but their samples say otherwise -extremely high levels of contaminants found in soil, gives a clean bill of health, but instructs parents on ways to keep children safe while playing outside. This weekend there will be a Jazz and Heritage Festival in N.O. at Church Hill Downs. This will be a safe place as the owners excavated all of the soil so the horses will be safe. Speaks of the incredible amount of bureaucracy in getting stimulus funding from HUD. Universities, labor, environmental organizations, community organizations and homeowners collaborated to do a demonstration project called "Safe Way Back Home" to show the government what needs to be done. 180 volunteers helped with project including getting Hazmat training, removed 6 inches of top soil from 23 homes on the street, replaced with sand, then sod. Politicians showed up afterwards. Neighborhood restored beautifully. The people make it happen baby! Dr. Wright did a great job and has a wonderfully humorous personality.

What chemicals are safe?

1) We need to educate ourselves?
2) Advocate for greater research and disclosure of chemical impacts
3) Going into another era of designing better products
4) We need to understand impact of interaction of mix of chemicals that we are exposed to

What should we do about mixtures of chemicals and interaction of other parts of the environment?
1) Dr. Wright says we are going to get very ugly and very smelly if scientists don't figure something out, because she has almost stopped using everything! S
2) Very complex issue, but environmental scientists are pushing for better science, research and policy

Web Resources
1) www.silentspring.org
2) Our Stolen Future Site
3) Be wary of information sponsors of sites that you research
4) EPA
5) Black and Into Green (my response)

What's Up with Soy?
1) Phytoestrogen - think of estrogen receptors as a parking lot, holding excess estrogens, especially for post menopausal women and women that have not used soy all of their lives. Studies in process.
2) Matters where you grew up, gestated, what grandmothers ate.

Dr. Regina Benjamin is an amazing woman, daughter of a single mom and advocate for access to health care for all - poor, middle income. Primary experience in rural medicine in Louisiana, had to rebuild community health center after two hurricanes and a fire.

Health Care Reform - We need to change from sick care to a well care system. Her goals are wellness and prevention. Obesity is one of our nation's most serious issues, especially among people of color. Two thirds of adults are overweight and obese. More children are obese, these issues will have an impact on long term health of kids. Partnering with First Lady's Let's Move initiative. We need to recreate our communities and environments around health choices, safe choices and affordable choices. We need to be more positive and fun in our approach. Supports daily gym classes, recess and healthy lunches in schools. Supports initiatives to make it easier for women to breast feed, reduces likelihood of obesity. $1B invested in wellness and prevention programs so far.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Man, Thursday will be the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, and I have no exciting earthy green events planned. Bummer. I will be driving to Columbus, Ohio to attend a conference of school business officials. Next year, I must remember to take this day off. The conference won't be so bad, as a member of our local USGBC Green Schools Action Circle, I can check out the green vendor booths (there will be several) and ask the school treasurers about their energy efficiency plans. I will also enjoy seeing some of my clients from Northeast Ohio out of their offices for a change. In Ohio, all new public school buildings must be LEED certified, but there is a need for information about green curriculum and financing sources, so I will ask them about their plans in those areas. Anyway, back to Earth Day. Other than eat some raw food and develop some questions for my upcoming green biz panel at the Women's Summit, I think, I might have to sit this Earth Day out. Saturday is taken as I will be attending an African American Philanthropy Summit and Sunday is gone as, I will be attending my initiation into Jack and Jill of America. So I will have to live vicariously through your Earth Day experiences. What are your plans?

Click here for the program schedule. I won't arrive until around 10am, so look for my posts at that time.

If you were attending, what would you want to learn from the event? What questions would you really want answered? I would love to know, so that I can be your eyes and ears at the event. Tweet me up at @bn2g00.

On April 21st in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, hundreds of individuals will attend the annual Women's Health and Environment Conference. Lisa P. Jackson, head of the EPA and Surgeon General, Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, will be keynote speakers. There will be panel discussions throughout the day, centered on topics of environmental health. As a guest blogger, I will be posting and updating on the discussions throughout the day. I'm so excited! I'm working on my personal goals for the conference (you need to be ready for these events). My personal health experience and curiosity about possible environmental causes, were the drivers for starting this blog, so I feel as though I have come full circle. If you register before the 21st, you can participate via livestreaming.

Today after a 4G (4 generations - grandma, dad, me, son) brunch at one of Cleveland's best brunch spots, The Vine and Bean (also a green restaurant), we stumbled upon a consignment shop, which lo and behold, was owned by a black woman! Nice. I spotted a couple of items that I am going to go back for tomorrow, including a vintage, yellow, gingham shift dress with ruffles on the bottom. Actually my son spotted it as we were heading out (he has a good eye). It reminds me of something you would find at Anthropologie, but without the financial sacrifice and I'm certain, it wasn't made in China. I will take a photo of it for you to see next week. Consignment shops are great places to find shoes, bags, jewelry, hats and evening wear at great prices, in addition to the usual clothing items. This place even had a plus size room with lots of good stuff.

Green Law: Sustainability in the Legal Community Business GreenBiz.com For my legal eagle friends out there. One of you recently asked me about going green in the legal profession. This article shares some nice resources and feedback from a law firm that is taking this on. Construction professionals are realizing sizeable expense reductions and efficiencies in their efforts to eliminate paper from their industry, it's time for attorneys to do the same. Part of the problem are these old school judges and lawyers that don't know how to use a computer, but as tax revenues decline, courts will be forced to operate in a more efficient manner, which means streamlining paper.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Okay I'm back into the groove of eating lots of raw food after a fun time in our nation's capital. My latest recipe is from the book "Raw Food A Complete Guide for Every Meal of the Day". I really enjoy these recipes. So I am trying out tonight, tacos made with pistachios, walnuts, a chunk of leek, carrot and nama shoyu. I made my own taco spices using coriander, cumin, garlic powder and cayenne. Then I whipped up some guacomole, to which I added some leftover mango. Super food kale, will replace the traditional taco shell. There is also a very simple recipe for sour cream made out of cashews, but I'm out of cashews.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Last week I had the pleasure of traveling to Washington, D.C. with my son to attend an open house on the campus of George Washington University. We were quite impressed with the campus and the experience. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my son Michael was going to stay overnight in the JJ Building, an eco-friendly dorm. I couldn't have planned that if I wanted to! While he was safely snoring away in the green dorm, I drove my eco-friendly (it was billed that way by Budget) rental car down the street to The Kimpton Hotel Palomar on P Street in Dupont Circle. I enjoy staying in Kimpton hotels due to their sustainability and social responsibility policies. They also let you bring your pets. How nice is it to have a recycling trash can in your room? Sweet. The next day, I went for a sight seeing jog around the neighborhood, so quaint and charming with its rowhouses, front yard gardens, cafes, boutiques and restaurants. Heaven. Needing some nourishment, I stumbled upon an eco-friendly restaurant called Sweet Green that sold fresh soups and salads made with local in season produce and frozen yogurt. I thought it was so cool that it actuall had a bin in whci to place compostables. Even the utensils are compostable. It was great. Apparently, others felt the same way, as there was a major line. That afternoon, I picked up my son from GWU, where he was treated to a nice tee, a BPA free water bottle and a boxed lunch. After settling him into the hotel, I enjoyed a cup of tea with my friend and fellow social mediaite, Ananda Leeke of Go Green Sangha and BAP Living at a charming restaurant in Dupont Circle called Teaism. It was divine. Ananda took me down to her neck of the woods in the U street area, where I really enjoyed the beautiful greenery of the pocket gardens. The next day, Michael and I walked to the Georgetown area, where we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at another green restaurant, Farmers and Fishers in Washington Harbor, owned by a collective of farmers in the region. He said that their fish sandwich was awesome and I really enjoyed my veggie sandwich, "the farmers daughter", made with grilled rye bread, avocado, roasted veggies and brie. Amazing. After enjoying the Potomac River, we checked out some of the shops, including a cool vintage clothing store called Annie Creamcheese. The items were a bit pricey compared to what we can find in Cleveland, but there was a nice selection of vintage clothing for men and women. That evening we dined at B Smiths restaurant in Union Station, where I was pleased to find vegetarian ribs. On Sunday, we dined at another green restaurant, The Founding Farmers on Pennsylvania Avenue in Foggy Bottom and had a great brunch of chicken and waffles (I broke my meat free fast that day). I must say, by that point, I was getting used to a complete vegetarian lifestyle. I think I will be there completely once my son takes off for college. Anyway, I digress. There was a wonderful eco-friendly French bakery that we stopped at before heading back to C-Town, called Le Pain Quotidien. I ordered the chocolate brownie and the pistachio marzipan tart. To....die....for. I have never tasted store baked goods that were that amazingly delicious. I don't think I will be buying many baked goods, since I have been introduced to such refined deliciousness. I must say, that this was a pretty green trip, the only thing that was missing was the lack of fresh fruit. As soon as I arrived home, I killed a juicy green apple. Ahh, raw is good again. Green travel tips:

Drive or take the train to your destination

Rent an eco-friendly vehicle

Pack your own snacks, including lots of fresh fruit, for the road and late nights in the hotel

Fill up your own water bottle to stay hydrated while driving to your destination

Stay in hotels that support the environment and give back to the planet

Don't buy new clothes for your trip or purchase from vintage or consignment

Skeptics Corner

About Me

Welcome

Interested in preserving the earth as a place that is safe and clean for everyone? This site is for you! The world's environment is increasingly tainted with polluted drinking water, toxic landfills, questionable food supplies and polluted air. Drinkable water supplies are drying up due to waste and climate change. Our health, our children's health and the lives other living creatures are at risk if we don't take ownership of our environment. Let's be vigilant and mindful of our personal impact on the world and advocate for those less able to speak for themselves. Topics include, but are not limited to:

Going Green: Ten Easy Things You Can Start Doing Today (or soon)

* Utilities- Turn down your water heater, don't keep the water running while brushing your teeth, replace light bulbs with fluorescent light bulbs, use a powerstrip to turn off electronics when not in use, turn off lights when leaving a room, replace showerhead with a water conserving fixture

* Trash- Buy more of what you need and less of what you want (use a reusuable bag while you are buying)

REUSE

* Invest in a cool mug or thermos for beverage purchases instead of using disposable cups-preferably stainless steel

* Donate, sell or re-purpose old clothes instead of throwing them away

* Do you really have to throw away that plastic storage bag, container or aluminum foil that you used just one time? If it can't be used to store food again, can it be used to store small household or garden items?

* Think before you toss. "How can this item be reused?"

RECYCLE

* Look for the recycling triangle on your plastic goods, plastic bags and glassware. Many cities offer recycling pickup with your garbage or recycling bins for drop off of recycled goods. For drop off locations near you, click here.

* Reuse newspaper and paper (black and white print) in the garden as mulch or as stuffing for packages. Cut up and use the backside of used paper or envelopes as notepads. Save and bundle your old paper, boxes for recycling pickup or drop off boxes

* Keep a recycling bag in your car or the office to continue and model your earth friendly practices away from home